LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 04: Joe Bryant hugs his son Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after the Lakers 111-103 victory against the Utah Jazz during Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Bryant started his hoops career at John Batrum High School, then went to LaSalle University, and even played his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers. So when his son — and Lower Merion standout — Kobe Bryant played against his hometown team in the 2001 NBA Finals, he was conflicted.

“I said, ‘We’ll you know Philly, I’m always Philly — I always rooted for Philly, I even for the Flyers and the Eagles,'” Bryant said. “You know what I mean? And the Phillies because you’re from Philly. And I said, ‘Well listen, I can’t lose.’ You have Philly and Lakers, you can’t lose, your emotions — you always root for your son to win the championship and all that. But you know, I thought that was really interesting time or period being a hometown Philly boy, you always root for your home teams. But watching Kobe perform against someone as great as Allen Iverson, soon to be a Hall Of Famer also, that was a great experience watching that finals.”